


Thanksgiving in America

by JustAnotherUnderstudy



Series: This Should Totally Be A Thing [3]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-31 06:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8568598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherUnderstudy/pseuds/JustAnotherUnderstudy
Summary: M and Bond decided to make a run for it. A year later they spend American Thanksgiving Day in Scottsdale, AZ.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saye0036](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saye0036/gifts), [detectivecaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/detectivecaz/gifts), [Lilibet2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilibet2/gifts), [tayryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayryn/gifts), [bufan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bufan/gifts).



> This is from an idea I had for a story where James and Olivia went on the run instead of the ill-fated stand-off with Silva. Not sure if I'll do more. But I wanted to do a Thanksgiving story for today. :)

November in Scottsdale is far warmer than November in London. And even though it feels strange to eat such a huge meal in this heat it would look even more odd to settle for a salad while everyone around her is devouring large cuts of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and some sort of dish with green beans smothered in dried onions and cream sauce.

Olivia cuts off another small bite of turkey and looks across the table at her companion. Bond is enjoying himself thoroughly. That's becoming more normal.

Olivia recalls the first time she saw him smile and completely relax.

_It had been in August while they were staying in a cabin in Chile. It had snowed over a foot the night before they were supposed to leave the country and travel down to the city was impossible. She had been frustrated and Bond had been talking nonsense about them hiking out of the mountains. She had no real authority over him anymore, it wasn't as if she could threaten him with a remote, woman-less outpost. He was her self-appointed bodyguard. Instead she scooped up a handful of snow, patted it into a ball and thrown it at him. He'd turned toward her just as she released the snowball and it caught him on the cheek, shattering into a million flakes and sliding down the side of his face._

_His look had been thunderous but it only made her laugh._

_"You are not taking our situation very seriously, ma'am."_

_She scooped up more snow and he tried to get to her before she could throw another, but the snow was too thick and this time the ball made contact with his forehead._

_He stopped and wiped the snow away with his scarf._

_"Well, if snowballs were bullets, I guess you could be a 00."_

_She rolled her eyes at him._

_"James, there is not a bloody thing we can do about the weather. The roads will be cleared by tomorrow and we'll make our way to the airport then. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you'd lighten up."_

_His jaw tensed._

_"Lighten up? That's really the pot calling the kettle black. You are the most tense person I know. I can't even remember the last time you relaxed."_

_And before she could blink he was on her, pushing her back into the snow. While she was trying to right herself, he'd managed to scoop up some snow himself and pushed it down the front of her jacket._

_Olivia screamed and hollered more than a few epithets as Bond ran over to the side of the small cabin._

_The battle that had ensued lasted only 15 minutes but Olivia could honestly say she hadn't had such fun since her childhood._

_"I'd forgotten how gratifying it is to throw snow at someone you are angry with."_

_Her hand was on the knob of the door, Bond right behind her. He reached around to stop her hand turning it and opening the door._

_"Are you still angry with me?"_

_His voice was quiet and Olivia turned to face him. He was close enough that she could feel the heat of his breath as he breathed out._

_"No, Bond. I can hardly ever stay angry with you."_

_She smiled and when her eyes made contact with his, his gaze flashed swiftly down to her lips and quickly back up._

_"Good."_

_That was all he said. They'd gone back inside, had some tea and sat in pleasant silence in front of the fireplace._

"More coffee, ma'am?"

The waitress interrupts Olivia's thoughts.

"No thank you."

"Thinking of what you're thankful for I see."

"Um."

"The look on your face, it was definitely a happy one."

Olivia feels herself blush, and that only makes her more embarrassed, which only makes it worse.

"Oh, I see."

The waitress looks between her and Bond.

"I'll just leave you to your, um, gratitude then."

She walks away with the coffee pot and Olivia is left with a smirking agent across from her.

"Well, she jumped to that conclusion quickly."

James chuckles and shakes his head, then picks up his napkin to wipe his face, averting his eyes from hers.

It gives Olivia time to recover from the look of hurt she knows probably flashed across her face, at least she is sure it must have if the twist in her chest at his words is anything to go by. Olivia chastises herself. They might be traveling as a couple but that doesn't make them one.

James had dyed his hair grey early on in their travels. He'd reasoned that Silva and his men would be looking for the obvious, a mother and son, an aunt and nephew. So they traveled as an older retired couple.

Though Olivia had suggested he was pretty enough he could change his clothes and go as her niece. That thought brings her back to a more happy place than her ludicrous fantasy of her and James together.

"What were you thinking of? Was it something you're thankful for? You know, you do have to come up with something. It's an American tradition today."

"Snow."

James cocks an eyebrow.

"Snow?"

"In Chile."

A huge grin breaks across James' face and Olivia relaxes into the familiar feel of the warmth it brings her.

"We should go back."

"You know we can't, James."

"We might, at some point. Silva is finally dead, M is busy rounding up his cronies. We could maybe go for a holiday next July or August."

Olivia's smile is forced, but she hopes it doesn't appear to be.

"By next July or August you can go back to Chile with someone far younger and more interesting."

James look turns serious.

"There is no one more interesting than you, ma'am."

Olivia laughs.

"But there are many younger."

It isn't that Olivia can't discern the look James gives her, she just refuses to acknowledge it. The two of them have been cut off from other people for over a year now while M hunted down Raul Silva. It stands to reason they are becoming more than a little attached to each other.

"Just eat your turkey, or you won't get any pie."

In response to her command, James scoops potatoes onto his fork and makes a point of chewing it in a dramatic manner.

Olivia glares at him.

"Cheeky bugger."

____

James slides the key card into the hotel room door and it clicks open. He follows Olivia inside and watches as she kicks off her heels.

"You think I prefer a younger model?"

She turns at his words and gives him a questioning look.

"Earlier, at dinner, you suggested I take someone younger than you to Chile, or did you mean younger than me?"

Olivia chuckles then sighs and sits down in the chair in the living area of their suite.

"I suppose we're both just old now, though you still have a few years before it's official. I'm probably rubbing off on you."

"Only in the best ways possible, ma'am."

She smiles sleepily at him before she speaks again.

"I believe we now either have to play American football or we have to take a nap. Isn't that the tradition?"

James laughs.

"Well, I'm afraid I'm far too out of shape to play any form of football, or any other sport for that matter."

"Spending too much time around old folks now that you're dressing up like one."

James walks over and sits on the couch next her chair.

"I happen to like my 'grandpa pants.'"

He glances at her and sees a flash of sadness in her eyes and across her face. He reaches over for her hand.

"Hey, I really don't mind, Liv."

"You've put your whole life on hold for this."

He shakes his head.

"Olivia, you've been my whole life for years. I know this is about me not getting out and having adventures or whatever you want to call my old assignments. And that was all good at the time, but, seriously, I am too old for it. After they forced you out, you know I'd have been next. You were the only one there who really believed in me anymore."

They hadn't talked about this at all, but James has seen it coming. It's been a little over a year since they'd stood on that outcropping overlooking Skyfall and decided it might just be better to make a run for it. Tanner had quickly sent people in to try to make a defense against Silva look viable and hopefully take out the maniac. The former had done nothing but destroy James' old home, the latter hadn't been accomplished until this past September.

"There's more to it than that, James. You could have retired, or taken an office job, or a training position."

There is an 'and' there he doesn't miss though she didn't say it. 'And' he could still have his own life, not one bound to hers.

They are silent for some time, though James doesn't drop her hand.

"I never got to say what I was thankful for."

James decides just to get right to the point, though it looks roundabout he is sure.

He waits until she looks at him.

"I'm thankful."

He pauses and stands, tugging at her hand so she'll stand with him.

"That you are safe."

He touches her face gently. She smiles up at him and places her hand on the one touching her cheek.

"There are so many things I want to say, but 'goodbye and have a good life' after all we've been through together will never be something I'll say, so I think we should take that conversation off the table. We've got a good several months, you know what Tanner said. When this is finished, and you can go home, I hope this has meant more to you than just some mission you sent me on."

He considers for a moment that the old James might have actually attempted to seduce her right now. He certainly doesn't lack the desire for her. But he doesn't want to take advantage of their isolation.

"I don't want to say 'goodbye' to you either, James. This hasn't been a terrible year. We've certainly had our share of good things to remember."

They stand that way for several heartbeats before Olivia slides her other hand along his arm then moves it to his chest and skims it up to his shoulder. James shudders involuntarily. Then her hand is on the back of his neck, tugging him down to her. He acquiesces without question as she stands on her toes and their lips met.

Olivia is not tentative, she kisses like she does everything else, decisively and with deep passion. James responds instantly. He's wanted this for far too long. One hand slides down to her waist to pull her closer, the other slips into her hair. She tastes his lips with her tongue and he moans as he opens himself to her. Her hand is in his hair, the other on his chest, fisting his shirt between her fingers.

They finally have to break apart to catch their breaths. James peppers kisses across Olivia's face and then buries his face against her neck.

"Oh, god, Olivia. I've wanted to kiss you for so long."

She holds him more tightly.

"I had hoped I wasn't reading the signs wrong."

He pulls back to look at her and shakes his head.

"No, I just didn't, well, I wasn't sure how you'd take it. If you'd just think I was being a cad."

Olivia chuckles.

"My dear, James, you are many things, but cad is not one of them."

\-------

Tanner drops his briefcase onto the floor as he kicks his door shut behind him and slides off his coat. He hangs it and his hat and umbrella on the stand next to the door and walks through the living room into the kitchen. He opens the cupboard and pulls out the necessaries to prepare some tea, sets the kettle on the fire and goes back to the living room to turn on the TV. He presses a button on the remote and the TV news comes onto the screen. In his hand, the remote vibrates. He keeps it in his hand as he walks into the toilet and shuts the door to the windowless room.

He shoves the remote in his pocket, takes care of his business, washes his hands and returns to the kitchen where the kettle is beginning to boil. He takes a phone from his pants pocket where he'd had the remote and looks at the text.

_"Get us some place it snows."_

It's James. Tanner quickly replies.

"Bossy these days."

_"I'm always bossy, that's why I'm your boss."_

Tanner's eyebrows perk up.

"Then you have the wrong phone."

_"Well, shit. I must have grabbed the wrong one in the dark. Just get us up north."_

Tanner stares at the message. This is an absolute first. In the year he's been helping them hide, giving M only enough information that he could beg plausible deniability, this is the first time either had slipped and used the others phone...in the dark, no less.

Tanner knows they are traveling as a married couple, but...no, that was impossible. Olivia would never allow such nonsense, and James was too bloody terrified of the woman to try anything.

"Do you want Canada or one of the northern states?"

_"Just something with mountains and seclusion and snow, lots of snow."_

Tanner is glad she can't see his face because this is becoming more unusual.

"Secluded?"

_"We're in hiding, Tanner, or did you forget?"_

"Well, secluded hasn't really been a thing since Silva was killed."

He really wants to ask, but he is afraid she'll fly herself back to England just to give him a talking to if he steps over the line.

_"Are you going to get us a place or not?"_

"Yes, of course. Is this James' idea?"

_"No, it's mine. Now just get us the papers and any keys we need. Thank you."_

Later that night, right before he switches off the TV, the "remote" buzzes again. This time he just turns off the TV and slips the device out of the remote under cover of the darkness of the room.

_"I see she grabbed the wrong phone."_

"Yes. Are you OK with going somewhere it snows?"

_"Of course, it'll make Christmas much nicer."_

Tanner hummed to himself as he considered his next comment. Maybe James wouldn't show it to Olivia. Either way, he was too interested to resist.

"Niagara or the Adirondocks?"

_"I don't know, which ever one has the best snow if that's what she wants."_

"Well, Niagara has hotels with heart shaped spa tubs, but the Adirondacks have ones with champaigne cup tubs."

_"The bloody hell, Tanner. Did she tell you something on her own phone? I can't believe she'd say anything."_

"She didn't say a damned thing, just that she wanted snow and seclusion."

_"Oh, well, I bloody well put my foot in it."_

"Who would I tell?"

_"Not him, OK?"_

"Of course."

_"Champagne cups, huh?"_

Tanner laughed.

"Yes."

_"Oh, that's tempting, but if she wants remote, well, I'd prefer that. We can stay in a hotel later."_

Tanner blushed at the thought of why Olivia wanted a secluded loation now that he'd put it all together.

"I'll get you something nice. You'll get the information the usual way."

_"Thanks."_

"No problem. And you two be good to each other. I'm no good at consoling people after break ups."

_"It won't be an issue. I'd have to be certifiable to screw this up."_

Tanner turns off the device and sits in the darkness. A smile comes to his face. It is about bloody time. At least if they come back they might not be at each others throats all the time.

He'd never been much of a believer in so called hidden attractions and fighting being a sign of secret love. But Olivia and James had been after each other for years. First it truly was a fight for dominance, then trust, then it became something different. There was more frustration on both their parts, especially after Olivia's husband died. Finally, he might have some peace. And if they enjoyed their seclusion, it might be Tanner needing to check in with them instead of them calling to have themselves moved.

He smiles at that thought as he replaces the phone inside the special remote he'd obtained from Q years ago then he heads off to bed. He needs to research secluded snowy places first thing.


End file.
